ByCompiled from wire service reports by Ross Atkin, Christa Case, and Robert KilbornJanuary 4, 2005

Visionary Vehicles LLC, the company owned by Malcolm Bricklin, an auto industry entrepreneur, importer, and brand builder, announced Monday that it plans to import a full line of Chinese-built affordable passenger vehicles to the North American market beginning in 2007. Chery Automobile Company, one of China's fastest-growing independent car manufacturers, will build the first year's models - a compact sedan, a midsize sedan, a sport and luxury coupe, and a sport utility vehicle - designed by European and Japanese designers. The target price for the vehicles will be about 30 percent lower than comparable models and carry a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. Bricklin previously founded Subaru of America and Yugo America. Visionary's first-year sales goal is 250,000 vehicles, with 1 million sold by the fifth year.

Delta Air Lines Inc. expects to slash fares next week and remove restrictive rules such as Saturday-night stays, Time magazine reported in its online edition Sunday. Ticket-change fees will be reduced to $50 from $100 and 81 new flights will be added to limit future flight disruptions. The No. 3 US carrier's overhaul of its pricing and scheduling policies is part of restructuring efforts aimed at avoiding a bankruptcy filing.

KFW, Germany's state development bank, is expected to pay $2.31 billion next week for an additional 12 percent stake in Deutsche Post, the giant German delivery and logistics service, The Financial Times said Monday. The bank already owns a 36 percent stake in the company. The new transaction will allow the government to cover a budget shortfall while KFW "warehouses" shares of Deutsche Post for selling later.